Amid the clutter of urban Asia, Singapore, at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, is like a welcome oasis, simply because everything works perfectly. Everything it offers makes it attractive to tourists. Set new travel goals in Singapore. Fun and positive outings to cool museums in Singapore will see you striking up a new relationship with museums that you’ll never want to end.
Apart from sightseeing, it offers an exciting calendar of events, offering locals and visitors plenty of opportunities to explore and find what appeals to them. It’s interesting actually because many people who used to visit museums but no longer do, rekindle their passions for visiting museums again because Singapore has a host of cool museums to visit.
A Singapore best museum gives you the chance to notch up your travel experience and take it to the next level.
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We take a look at some of the best museums to visit in Singapore.
7 Cool Museums in Singapore to add to your itinerary
Art and Science Museum
Looking very much like a Lotus flower, the other fantastic thing about the Art and Science Museum in Singapore is that it forms part of the Marina Bay Sands resort and it is also the world’s first ArtScience museum.
Opening in February 2011, the cool wheelchair-accessible museum is often referred to as ‘The Welcoming Hand of Singapore’, and the beautiful, artistic exterior ensures plenty of photographs being taken of it.
The museum’s permanent collection is known as ‘Future World’ with immersive, interactive high-tech installations. Boasting 21 gallery spaces, the museum has hosted huge exhibitions by some of the world’s major artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dalí, and Vincent Van Gogh since opening in February 2011.
Some exhibitions offer guided tours in English and Mandarin on the weekends. You can hire digital guides with an audio commentary from the museum box office.
There’s nothing backward with this amazing museum and it has presented some extraordinary exhibitions that explore aspects of science such as robotics, big data, marine biology, and space exploration among others. There’s a gift shop too.. When your feet are exhausted, you can take time out at the cafe – it’s well worth the break.
Opening times:
Open each day – 10:00 -19:00
Admission fees:
- SGD30 if you want to have access to all 3 exhibitions.
- SGD24 if you want to see just 2 exhibitions.
- Take Note: There are concession prices available for seniors.
A tip is to buy your tickets online to avoid frustratingly long queues.
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Kids will be enthralled with the Lee Kong Chia Natural History Museum located at the National University of Singapore As the only natural museum in Singapore, kids want to get to this museum to see what sauropod dinosaurs used to look like.
Kids will be enthralled with the Lee Kong Chia Natural History Museum located at the National University of Singapore As the only natural museum in Singapore, kids want to get to this museum to see what sauropod dinosaurs used to look like.
That’s not all and you’ll be able to travel back in time and see the start of life on Earth. The museum has more than a million natural specimens from Southeast Asia. School kids might be enthralled to know that the Mammal zone houses the skeleton of a 10.6-meter sperm whale. The specimen was found in 2015 off Jurong Island.
The focus of the museum is to be a leader in research and education of Southeast Asian biodiversity. As the only natural museum in Singapore, it’s a wonderful place to explore with your kids. They’ll be enthralled with the dinosaur fossils.
Opening times:
Mondays and Public holidays – closed
Tuesday to Sunday – 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Session 1 starts at 10 am, Session 2 at 1.00 pm, and Session 3 at 4.00 pm. These sessions are designed to keep the crowds under control.
Admission fees:
- Singaporeans pay S$16.00
- Children, students, and senior citizens as well as those with a disability pay S$9.00.
- Standard rates for tourist adults – S$21.00.
- Standard rates for kids, students, seniors, and those with disabilities – S$9.00.
Book your tickets online here.
Mint Museum of Toys
Everybody who visits the Mint Museum of Toys wants to know what the name ‘MINT’ actually stands for. It stands for Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys. Kids, and particularly adults find that the awesome MINT Museum takes them back to the days that they were kids.
Toys from more than 40 countries
This cool museum in Singapore features a generous collection of vintage toys. It’s thought to be the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia. You’ll surely need to set aside a considerable amount of time at the museum as there are more than 50,000 toys and memorabilia from not just Singapore but from more than 40 countries.
The fascinating toys date back to the mid-19th century and kids and adults alike are in for the most magical time exploring the toys. Some are wind-up toys, some are tin toys, some are vintage and some are collectibles.
What is seriously cool is that the cool museum houses a collection of Beatles memorabilia which gives one a glimpse into the journey of the fab four band and its legacy.
There is also exclusive merchandise available to buy at the shop found at the entrance to the museum. There are also guided museum tours which make things pretty interesting as you get an explanation of the toys and memorabilia in the museum.
Opening times:
Monday to Sunday – 9.30 am – 6.30 pm
Last admission at 6 pm
Admission fees:
- Tickets are available at various prices depending on what you want to see.
- The price of tickets starts from S$25 and discounts are available.
Book your tickets online here.
Red Dot Design Museum
This boutique museum along the Waterfront Promenade at the Marina Bay is where you can find exhibitions, a museum shop and their permanent collection. The museum is a modern glass building and it invites you to take a look at the more than 300 award-winning futuristic design ideas.
These designs come from top, winning designers around the world. The Museum Shop is a wonderful shop where curated design objects can be found. The well-curated collection of design products is ideal for shopping for gifts.
Showcasing all things modern
It has been since 1955 that the first Red Dot Design Museum has been an international showcase of products and industrial design. The second Red Dot Design Museum was built in Singapore in 2005.
There are planned guided tours of the museum led by a professional where you are provided with fascinating information about the exhibits. There’s also the Cafe Bar which has been decorated with Red Dot-awarded furniture and accessories. It’s a great place to enjoy a cold beer or cup of coffee and to muse over inspirational decor ideas.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday – 12.00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday to Sunday – 10.00 am to 8.00 pm
Admission fees:
- There are different entry prices for adults and children.
- Non-Singapore citizens – $11.80. Children pay $6.40. Children under 6 – free of charge.
Buy your tickets online here.
National Museum of Singapore
The National Museum of Singapore is the oldest and largest museum in the nation, and for those who love visiting museums, it should always be a date penciled in on your must-see itinerary list.
The domed building has been a local landmark since 1887. Once inside, the scope of the collection is vast, with much being devoted to the history of Singapore. The exhibitions are informative, but also wonderfully entertaining.
All the exhibitions are bright, but just sometimes dark and sinister light is required to add to the ambiance of what is being presented. There’s never a dull moment, especially since the museum is visited by schoolchildren on educational trips.
Never a dull moment
Some exhibitions make use of interactive video. The museum also hosts entertaining events throughout the year, from festivals to film screenings, digital presentations, and exhibitions involving historically and culturally important collections of artifacts.
Everything at the museum is presented in such a way as to appeal to kids and adults. It is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible and there are also free guided tours each day which are presented in English, Mandarin, and Japanese.
The gift shop has one or two interesting souvenirs you might want to consider and of course, no outing is complete without some culinary delight. There is a mix of dining facilities with tasty fare to enhance the entire museum outing.
Opening hours:
Daily: 10 am to 7 pm
Admission fees:
- Admission is free for visitors under 6 years of age.
- Entry is free for Singaporeans.
- Regular prices for adults – $15 and student $10.
- You can also visit the National Museum of Singapore page to get more information on Singapore pricing.
National Gallery – A cool museum in Singapore
Everyone loves a museum visit now and then and when you couple that with art and culture, you’ve got an outing worth remembering. The cool thing about The National Gallery is that it has more than 9 000 items in its collections.
Singapore is dedicated to art and culture and a visit to the museum will reveal to you a collection of more than 9 000 items. For all the museum offers over its 690 000 sq feet floor area, it’s the biggest visual arts venue and museum in Singapore.
You can go on an organized tour that offers views into some normally restricted areas. You will go down some hidden passageways and climb through a trapdoor to the prisoner’s dock as this area was once the Supreme Court.
Small wonder it receives close to 2 million visitors each year – it’s full of surprises. All galleries and facilities are wheelchair accessible. It’s a top choice museum to visit in Singapore and it offers some stylish award-winning restaurants too.
Opening times:
Open daily – 10 am to 7 pm.
Admission fees:
- Singaporeans get in free
- Children aged 6 and under get in free.
- General admission – $20.
- Concession at $5 off for kids aged 7 – 12 and for seniors and students.
Buy your tickets online here.
Singapore Art Museum
Opening its doors in 1996, the Singapore Art Museum has one of the most important collections of contemporary art in the world. Those who love art and have visited the place describe it as awesome curated artwork and the chance to get to know about some of the local artists.
You won’t only find paintings, but sculpture work, videos, and photography. The museum also holds exhibitions. The museum is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly. What is also cool, is that there are free 45-minute guided tours. There is a gift shop and dining facilities, ensuring that your entire outing is pleasurable from the start.
Opening times:
Monday to Thursday – 10:00-19:00
Friday: 10:00-21:00
Saturday to Sunday – 10:00- 19:00
Admission fees:
- Adults – $10
- Students – $5
- Seniors – $5
- Singaporeans enter free of charge.
Conclusion:
There’s no doubt about it – visitors to the best museums in Singapore are in for a combination of thrills and learning experiences that will create memories for the years ahead.
If you’re planning a holiday to Singapore, why not visit Singapore’s best museums as listed here? These cool museums are an energizing experience. See for yourself what busy hubs they are for tourists like yourself who have discovered what unforgettable experiences they can provide.
